It’s that time of the year again, as the nights draw in that we witness the evening we call Hallowe’en. It’s all about ghosts, witches, pumpkins, skeletons and evil goo. So where did this bizarre night of the year come from? Glen Scrivener explains.

As Glen says in his video, Hallowe’en is something that the church used, not to promote things of darkness, but to announce that God brings light in to the darkness of everything that’s wrong in the world. And most of all this was shown through Jesus coming into the world. He is described in John chapter 1 as the light shining in the darkness.

Jesus told a parable that involved the night time and light. It was about a wedding that for some reason was going to occur at night-time but the bridegroom was running late in getting there. The tradition in this country is that the bride is usually late! It was going to be a grand wedding and ten bridesmaids were chosen. These were days before torches or mobile phones with lights on them. They each had small oil lamps, that needed a supply of oil to run them. Five of the bridesmaids were smart and brought an extra supply of oil, but the other five were stupid and didn’t. By the time the bridegroom got there at midnight, all the oil in the lamps had run out. No problem for the five with a spare supply, but disaster for the five dafties. The problems was, that there wouldn’t be enough for anyone if the five smart ones shared theirs, so they went on to the marriage feast, whilst the other five went off to find oil. By the time they got back, the doors had closed and they couldn’t get in – they were too late because they were not prepared. Take a look at the story in Matthew 25:1-13.

The real story of Hallowe’en is a warning that we should be looking towards the light rather than messing around in the dark. Jesus is the light that came into the world and He’s the light that’s coming back into the world and we’ve got to be like the smart bridesmaids and be ready and waiting for His return. And we can know Him today if we are prepared to trust and follow Him. We can do that by praying and asking Him into our lives. He will forgive us for the wrongs things we have done and be our friend throughout our lives. And when He comes, He’s going to take all who trust and follow Him to be with Him. THe rest will be left behind.

But following Jesus isn’t just about being with Him forever in the future, it’s about having Him in our lives everyday, so that we are prepared for whatever happens to us day by day because Jesus is with us. Here’s a crazy science experiment using eggs that show us what being prepared is all about.

To remember the story of the ten bridesmaids, why not have a go at making one of our lanters? You’ll need to be able to print or display the sheet below, get together the materials and follow the instructions in the sheet.

If you’ve got access to a printer, you can also have a go at some of the puzzles on our comic capers page.

Let’s close this edition of C-Kers online with a song. I mentioned earlier how we need to be prepared for anything that may happen to us in life by trusting Jesus. Why? Because He is able to do anything.

Our service for 25th October is a Bible Sunday Service with special speaker, Dr Andrew Ollerton from Bible Society.

Dr Andrew Ollerton is a theologian, pastor and writer of the well-know Bible Course which Bible Society produce. He’s got a reputation of being able to communicate complex things from God’s word in a clear and engaging way. If you want to know more about Andy or the Bible Course, then the link for it is here.

More information on today’s Bible Sunday items and about Bible Society generelly, it can be found on their website at https://www.biblesociety.org.uk

If you would like to give to the work of Bible Society, you can do that online by logging on to their donation page where you can give as a one-off or a regular amount and specify a particular BS work you would like to give to, as well as use Gift Aid. If you want to send them a gift by post then their address is Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon, SN5 7DG

For Reflection and Discussion

Read Nehemiah 8:1-12

1.  Have you experienced any life-changing experiences through reading the Bible or known God’s direction through any specific Bible passage?   What role did other people play in you discerning God’s will through His word.
2. After listening to or reading the transcript of Andy’s sermon today, is there a next step we think we should be taking with God’s word? (A study course, reading books to help us interpret the Bible, join a study group, use internet resources are just some examples.)
3. How can the Bible provide a safe place to process our experiences and face our fears together?

Because of the pandemic, this year’s Walton Parish Nursing Celebration Service will be available online only. We pray that God will bless and encourage you as you listen to it. If you know of anyone who is not connected to the internet and would like a DVD, please email us on the MRBC website and we’ll pass the message on.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

We saw a typo on the video after it went out. Please note that the Special Church Meeting is on TUESDAY 20th October at 7-30pm at the church. If yoiu are a church member, please try to get there as we are voting on an important resolution that will alllow us to make application to become a registered charity as a CIO.

For Reflection & Discussion

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

1. This passage involved Paul responding to the criticisms and opposition of Jews to the Gentile church in Thessalonica.  What opposition and criticisms does the church have today in our land?
2. Why is being transparent and acting with integrity so important in our relationships, in the church and in our dealing with the world at large?
3. Paul talked about being transparent in three respects; in our motives, in our actions and in our witness?   Why are these so important when we face criticisms?  Could we say the same as Paul when others criticise us – can we say “you know me”, or point to your actions, or know that the Holy Spirit shines through you?   
4. We all go through difficulties in life.  We have a God who is with us through the hard times. How much do we ever think that as a means of witness to others?  
5. Do you have someone who you can trust at times when you are most vulnerable?  How trustworthy are you with others’ vulnerabilities?

Pray that God to challenge you as you your transparency and integrity, and how much you can trust and be trusted.

For Reflection and Discussion

1.  Have you ever had a situation where something small you did, made a huge difference in someone else’s life.  Or has a huge difference been made in your life by the small act of service someone has given you?
2. Read Mark 15:16-32 again and consider the points made in the sermon: was Simon in the wrong place at the wrong time?
3. Look at Acts 11:19-30.  Why did the establishment of the church at Antioch by Cypriots and Cyrenians represent a watershed for the Christian faith?
4. What do we learn from the passages we have looked at today about the obeying God in the small things?

This Sunday, our Service is our annual Harvest Thanksgiving Service, and it’s a special one as we are observing it as a Tearfund Sunday with a talk by Tearfund Speaker, Angela Cox.

The Tearfund presentation features Tamam’s story, which is the organisation’s current appeal. More information and how to donate to Tearfund can be found at their website www.tearfund.org. If you would like to donate by phone their number is 020 3906 3906 and their address for cheques is Tearfund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8QE. Many thanks to Angela for speaking and to Tearfund for producing many of the materials in our service this morning.

Many thanks for those who donated gifts of food and toiletries for our harvest display. This will go to the two local youth and disability housing projects now called Sanctuary Supported Housing and Access Community Trust.  Thanks too for those who set it up. Pictures will appear at the beginning of the service video.

For Reflection and Discussion

1. What picture comes into your mind when you hear the word refugee? Why is it do you think that many are so hostile to refugees coming into their countries? Is that justified? Listen again to the sermon or look at Tamam’s story at www.tearfund.org/tamam.
2. Read Leviticus 23:22 and Ruth 2:1-12. How were the Israelites supposed to treat the foreigners that came into their land (or for that matter, the poor in their own land)?
3. What motivated Boaz, do you think to look favourably on Ruth? How many of these values can we see taught in the New Testament to those who follow Christ?
4. Apart from supporting Tearfund and similar organisations, what other thaings can we do to show compassion to the poor and strangers in our society?

Harvest Display Pictures

Opening – giving thanks together

Trust in the Lord at all times, O People; God is a refuge for us.

              God is our rock and our salvation; we shall not be shaken.

              God is good and in God’s work we find our strength.

              We sing of all God’s wonderful works! We give thanks and praise to the Lord!

            Reading – Psalm 84

Prayer in groups – session 1

• Praise God for all His goodness to us!
• Reopening of church building for Sunday Services and Brian’s group.
• Missions month – Bible Society, LCM, CMJ, BMS
• Other items?

• The Coronavirus situation. 
• Walton Parish Nursing – re-opening of no Labels and the Celebration Service
• Churches Together in Felixstowe – AGM, new member church, Town Prayers, Christmas and Unity Week plans.
• Boost
• Hope Trust
• CAP
• Seafarers’ Centre
• Walton Churches – online Lent Course – Ministers due to meet.

Sharing Together – MRBC and Fellowship prayer needs

Prayer in groups – session2

• Harvest Thanksgiving
• Smooth passage of change to registered charitable status
• Forthcoming programme.
• What do we do about Christmas?
• C-Kers Online
• People requiring prayer

Benediction

To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Due to continuing scheduling issues with YouTube, the service will be online at 9-45am on Sunday 27th and can be viewed online on demand at any time after that.

Our Mission Month continues with a look at Operation Chad, the BMS Appeal for 2020 which focuses on the Guinebor II Hospital near the capital N’djemena. If you want to find out more about BMS and Operation Chad, then click on THIS LINK to take you to their appeal page which also has a Donate button if you would like to give to the appeal. There is information in the Weekly Sheet on how to get money to BMS in other was. As a church we regularly give to BMS as part of our tithe to Baptist mission causes: BMS and BU Home Mission.

Welcome back to C-Kers Online. It’s been a month since the last one, but we’re back with more vids, another story and more activities. Let’s start off with a video called Odd Jobs.

This is another parable Jesus told. Remember that a parable is a “heavenly story with an earthly meaning. Jedsus told these stories to explain important things about God. Here’s the story as Jesus told it in Matthew chapter 20 verses 1 to 16:

“The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a man who went out early in the morning to hire some men to work in his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work in his vineyard. ³ He went out again to the marketplace at nine o’clock and saw some men standing there doing nothing, ⁴ so he told them, ‘You also go and work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.’ ⁵ So they went. Then at twelve o’clock and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. ⁶ It was nearly five o’clock when he went to the marketplace and saw some other men still standing there. ‘Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing?’ he asked them. ⁷ ‘No one hired us,’ they answered. ‘Well, then, you go and work in the vineyard,’ he told them.

⁸ “When evening came, the owner told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with those who were hired last and ending with those who were hired first.’ ⁹ The men who had begun to work at five o’clock were paid a silver coin each. ¹⁰ So when the men who were the first to be hired came to be paid, they thought they would get more; but they too were given a silver coin each. ¹¹ They took their money and started grumbling against the employer. ¹² ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘while we put up with a whole day’s work in the hot sun—yet you paid them the same as you paid us!’ ¹³ ‘Listen, friend,’ the owner answered one of them, ‘I have not cheated you. After all, you agreed to do a day’s work for one silver coin. ¹⁴ Now take your pay and go home. I want to give this man who was hired last as much as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do as I wish with my own money? Or are you jealous because I am generous?’” ¹⁶ And Jesus concluded, “So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last. (Good News Bible)

It didn’t seem fair. Those who were hired late in the day got the same as those who were hired earlier. Why was the owner being so generous to the people hired later in the day? Because he wanted to be! It gives us an important principle in the Bible – God wants to bless each person in the world and offer each of us to be part of His kingdom, irrespective of how good or bad we are or ever have been, and irrespective of age or anything else about us. He does this because he loves us and wants to bless each of us, whoever we are. IN the Bible this is known as grace. Here’s a little video about grace.

God offers us the opportunity to know Him, forgiveness for our sin (the things we do wrong), and to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. He doens’t offer it because we are good or bad, but He does it because He’s generous and He loves us. No-one is ever too bad to follow Jesus and become a Christian.

All this is because Jesus died on the cross for us and when we trust and follow Him, we get all the blessings God offers, because however good we are, we can never earn or deserve going to heaven or receiving God’s forgiveness. So in Jesus, God sorted it all for us so He gives it all for free! All we have to do is trust and follow Jesus! Have you done it yet? God wants to bless you today so take the opportunity to pray and follow Jesus.

Father, thank You that Jesus has died for me because You want to show me grace by offering me all Your blessings even though I don’t deserve them. Thank you that Jesus died for my sins so that I may know You now and forever. Lord Jesus, I want to follow You. I accept You into my life. Holy Spirit, give me the power to become the person You want me to be. Thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

THINGS TO MAKE AND DO

For our craft today, we want you to try to see if you can make a 3D bunch of grapes. You’ll need the following:

 Grape Template ( printable template
 Thin Card or cereal box
 Cotton wool balls
 Coloured tissue paper or bin liner s
 Coloured pen s / pencil s or crayon s
 Scissors
 Glue

You’ll also beed access to a printer for the instructions and the template below.

Wea lso have some colouring for you as well.

Let’s finish off today with a fun song that reminds us that to get to heaven there’s only one way, and that’s through trusting and following Jesus.